Anita R. Uqualla

Tribal Member, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
Entrepreneur, Educator, Humanitarian, Mother

Native American Living Legacy Award

Anita Uqualla served as Tribal Council Treasurer for 2 two year terms, overseeing tribal finances and coordinating tribal business and government budgets, income and expenses. A graduate of Central Arizona College, her minor was business finance, and her major, early childhood education.

Anita provided essential leadership in modernizing and making the Tribal Treasury Department more effective, implementing financial tracking, record-keeping and reporting systems, and expanding the departmental professional staff and office.

Prior to Mrs. Uqualla's service on the Tribal Council, she owner and operated a day care center in her home. She directed several programs at the Havasupai Indian Reservation from 1984-89 (her husband of 27 years is a member of that tribe.) She assisted in the writing of policies and procedures, personnel policies and the Law and Order Code for the Havasupai. As a certified instructor for Central Arizona College, Anita Uqualla taught pre-school through college level classes on the Havasupai Reservation, using a bilingual curriculum, and also served as PTA president for many years.

In San Diego County in the late 1970's, Anita, along with her parents, Carnation and the late Adolph Brown, Sr., organized Kumeyaay cultural demonstrations at local public schools, with primary participation by Viejas students and their parents.

Following the tragic death in 1997 of their oldest son, Nigel Dark Cloud Uqualla, the Uqualla family founded a national memorial fund in their son's name to provide Scholarships to Native Americans pursing education and careers in the fine arts, Media production, cultural preservation and law enforcement, reflecting Nigel's major interests. Today Anita, along with her husband, operates the Native Eyes Art Gallery, San Diego's first Native American-owned gallery. It is located in the Viejas Outlet Center. Native Eyes Gallery features art from Indian tribes throughout the United States, as well as artifacts from the Kumeyaay Nation.

Women's International Center is proud to acknowledge and honor Anita Uqualla with the Native American Living Legacy Award. She is a good woman doing good deeds for others.

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